News / Weak US dollar in Poland and other countries... [180]

None of you so far has mentioned that the main reason the US dollar is falling is the mortgage crisis in USA. This with addition to Iraq and Afghanistan is not a good combination. Let's wait till the elections next year. A lot will change. In the meantime to those who want to get rid of US curency an advice: you sell when it is high and buy when it is low, so...buy a lot of US dollars

Life / What type and brand of cars do Polish people like? [51]

i LOVE my bmw, although beemers here are different then in Europe - bigger cars and engines

USA, Canada / NO VISAS to Canada for Poles in the near future [62]

If you come as a tourist you need a valid passport and can stay up to 90 days, you cannot work and nobody will give a permit. If you want to emigrate you have to become a permanent resident by being sponsored by somebody (immediate family) or claiming refugee status (and that is a very long and expensive process and for Poles basically not possible). If you want to work you have to find a company who will apply for a working visa for you.

USA, Canada / advice on where to live in Canada [64]


Then why don't you move to Poland?

USA, Canada / For Polish Immigrants - What do you miss from your home country? [7]

nothing, I am fine and the only thing would be Polish sausages (the real ones) but we have quite a few Polish stores in Montreal and their stuff is actually better then in Warsaw

USA, Canada / advice on where to live in Canada [64]


Well I do not agree.
I just got a client (21years old) who is working in Alberta and makes $3000.00 a week laying pipes for an oil company. I know it for fact because he transfers money every week and I can see it. Also a person I work with had an income of 67000.00 last year and was able in January to finance a house with a mortgage of 550,000.00 with 35,000.down. He also bought a Porsche 911 on line of credit so credit was not an issue here. 80K to finance a 300K condo is a piece of cake, let's see it : 80K income, taxed at (let's say) approx. 45% afetr about 9000 tax deduction will leave with net income of 45500 a year, that's about 3800 net a mont, a payment on 25 year mortgage at lat's say 6% $1600, so you are left with over 2000 net a month. now there are other possible deductions so there must be more money left. So everybody is different and when it comes to electricians..they are paid very well, because there is lack of them.

USA, Canada / advice on where to live in Canada [64]


No , it is true.True because 1 - he is only 28 years old so plenty of time to make money enough to retire even if it means selling paid off house in 25 years for profit (obvious) and downsizing, 2 - mortgage is for 35 years so payments are lower (significantly) and 3rd- since his car is on line of credit all he has to pay a month is the interest. If it smart what he is doing that, well, is another story. And do not tell me those are lies because why would I lie? Oh I just noticed you are in California. Well, we do not have IRS and our government is much easier to deal with when it comes to unpaid or late taxes. How I know it? I negotiated the terms myself quite a few years ago when I had a rough time and they let me pay over 2 years. Isn't it smarter to get your money with interest after 2 years then throw you in jail and get nothing?

Life / My girlfriend wants to go back to Poland as she thinks lifes better there [36]

I recently bought a pair of pants from MEXX company. The price sticker includes about 6 countries. Paid 64$ Canadian, Polish price was 299 ZLOTY. That makes it about 130 $ CANADIAN...more then double

Work / Just about to move to Gdynia - teaching job Help! [24]

Kasia, only 20 years old? I suggest you visit again (only visit), and do so in November or February (really miserable time everywhere), think long and hard what you would be giving up. Is he worth it? There is plenty fish in the sea...

Life / Cultural readjustment... returning to Poland from the West. [58]

On that note I am going to Warsaw tomorrow for 1 week. I visit once a year and this time I will pay attention to all these things you guys mentioned in this post. If you have aquestion I will be more then glad to answer when I come back.

Ciao!

Life / JUST CAME BACK FROM WARSAW! How is it over there?Just ask and I will try to answer. [4]


Well, it depends what you mean. Things run differently over there.There are a lot of young people everywhere. The restaurants and cafes are really very nice, but I expected them to be a little cheaper. Stores are nice in the center of the city and shopping malls (I liked especially Galeria Mokotowska) but it gets worse in the suburbs. They are building a lot everywhere and there is no planning in place so some people end up paying a lot for their place and after 3-4 years their view gets obstructed by another building (happened to my friend). Real estate agents just got licensed recently (few months back) and you have to be carreful - they are not very honest (heard it from another friend who lost her dream condo that way). A square meter runs from 6000-7000 up to 15000-16000 PL, depends on the location and the state of the place. New built places are rather medium quality (according to North American standards), the old ones have much more charm and are indestructible. Grocery stores are really great, especially "Piotr i Pawel"! people? Rather rude, do not smile a lot, but maybe they are just serious. Banking? 10 years behind (talking from own experience). Transportation is great. What else would you like to know?

USA, Canada / Dual citizenship of both Poland and Canada? [12]

Just applied for a passport, so I know.
You are automatically a Polish citizen if one of your parents has a Polish citizenship. You are not when one of your parents will decline it within 3 months of your birth.

Just apply for a passport. Temporary will take 3 weeks, permanent will take 6 months and 156$ (because a courrier comes only once every 6 months!!!ridiculous). You do not have to serve in the military if you were born outside of Poland, which is your case (and my son's too).